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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #203325
Title: Breed differences in clearance of porcine FSH in hypophysectomized rats

Author
item MACDONALD, GORDON - R. WOOD JOHNSON MED SCHOO
item Wise, Thomas
item SLUSS, PATRICK - HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
item Ford, Johny

Submitted to: Animal Reproduction Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2007
Publication Date: 12/20/2007
Citation: Macdonald, G.J., Wise, T.H., Sluss, P.M., Ford, J.J. 2007. Breed differences in clearance of porcine FSH in hypophysectomized rats. Animal Reproduction Science. 102(3-4):328-334.

Interpretive Summary: Mature boars of the Chinese Meishan breed have much greater plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) than boars of commercial breeds (CB) of swine. Pituitary gonadotropins, FSH and luteinizing hormone, are protein hormones that contain a significant portion of carbohydrates, and composition of these attached carbohydrates varies with the physiological state of the animal. The first study infused extracts of anterior pituitary glands from boars into male rats and determined that FSH in Meishan pituitaries disappeared from the circulation of the rats at a slower rate that FSH in CB pituitaries. This finding indicated that FSH in Meishan boars contain more carbohydrates than FSH in CB boars. A second study determined that FSH in Meishan and CB boars was equally effective at stimulating FSH receptors. These findings establish that greater plasma FSH in Meishan boars is the consequence of slower clearance in addition to increased secretion. These observations will aid investigators in the design of future experiments.

Technical Abstract: Extracts of anterior pituitary (AP) glands were infused iv into hypophysectomized male rats followed by sequential sampling of blood for 120 min. Determination of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations established that FSH from Chinese Meishan males decreased in the circulation of rats more slowly than FSH in extracts of AP from crossbred occidental pigs (P < 0.003). Additionally, FSH from AP extracts of castrated males disappeared somewhat more slowly (P < 0.06) than FSH from extracts of boars. Evaluation of FSH by bioassay and radioimmunoassay yielded similar concentrations in AP from Meishan and crossbred boars. Serum testosterone concentrations increased with time through 90 min after infusion of AP, but the rate of increase of testosterone was not related to amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) that was administered indicating LH receptor saturation. Unexpectedly, the rate of increase in testosterone was more rapid with AP extracts from boars than with extracts from castrated males. Observations from the current study imply structural alterations of FSH in the AP of Meishan males relative to crossbred males allowing sustained concentrations in the circulation, and this FSH possesses similar activation of the FSH receptor. The amount of LH in the AP extracts saturated the LH receptors of the hypophysectomized male rats, but some factor in extracts of boars differed from those of castrated males.